Council of Europe head to visit Turkey Thursday

Thorbjorn Jagland to visit Ankara on Feb. 15-16 for third time since defeated coup.

The Council of Europe’s chief will be arriving in the Turkish capital Ankara on Feb. 15 on a two-day working visit, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday, according to Anadolu Agency.

“Secretary General [Thorbjorn] Jagland was the first international figure to visit our country after July 15 to show his solidarity with our government and our people,” the ministry said in a statement, referring to defeated coup of 2016.

“The secretary general's visit will be the third visit to our country after the coup attempt,” the statement added.

Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

The FETO and its leader, Gulen are also suspected of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.